Good Day!
I hope your summer is going well and you are healthy and safe. We have been extremely busy at #FrontRangeFireRescue (FRFR), and I wanted to take a little time to update you on what we’ve been doing.
We continue to be vigilant on the pandemic front. While the public is welcome in our firehouses, we are not holding large gatherings. We also insist on social distancing and the wearing of masks in our public areas. This will likely continue for the foreseeable future. If you are needing a car set check, please call us to schedule one. We also are keeping an eye on our Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) inventory and assuring that we have plenty should we see significant rises in cases this fall.
Yesterday, three new firefighters started their careers at FRFR. We’re excited to have them as part of our team, and over the next few days, we will be sharing their stories with all of you. They will be starting the Front Range Fire Consortium (FRFC) fire academy next week. This program lasts 4 months and will give these firefighters the foundation to keep them safe and effective in protecting your lives and property. The FRFC is made up of nearly a dozen other fire departments in the area. Sharing such a program regionally assures that we have the resources to deliver top quality training.
As you have seen recently, wildland fires throughout the state and the western US have been taking up a lot of time and resources. FRFR sends units and personnel to these fires for two primary reasons. First, we believe in pay it forward. By helping our neighbors and our state today, we help assure that we will have plenty of resources when we need help in the future in our community. Second, the experience gained on these fires helps our firefighters learn even more and gives them skills that they can utilize in their everyday response. As of today, all of our equipment and all but one firefighter are back in our district. I suspect that with all of the fires burning right now that we will be sending more out soon.
Lastly, The Larimer Board of County Commissioners has approved a fire ban for unincorporated portions of the county starting at noon today. FRFR protects parts of Larimer County as well as the towns of Johnstown and Milliken and unincorporated Weld County. We ask you to please be vigilant with fires around your own property. We’ve had a number of recent fires that started as planned burning of weeds and ditches as well as improperly disposed of smoking material. A bear once told me that only you can prevent fires, and he was right!
Thanks and stay safe,
Michael West, Fire Chief
